O  F 


NEW  YORK : 

Concord  Co-operative  printing  Company  (Limited). 

47  and  49  Centre  Street. 


OF  THE 

; 


CITY  OF  NEW  YORK. 


1887. 


OF  THE 

CITY  OF  NEW  YORK. 


ADOPTED  JULY  23,  1887. 


NEW  YORK : 

Concord  Co-operative  printing  Company  (Limited), 

47  and  49  Centre  Street. 


1887. 


•  33  /,VY# 

a7u3s^c 

twi 

0 

PREAMBLE. 

— 

We,  the  members  of  Local  Assembly  3420,  K. 
of  L.,  located  at  New  York  City,  State  of  New 
York,  in  order  to  form  a  more  perfect  union, 
establish  order  and  mutual  aid,  insure  har¬ 
mony,  promote  the  general  cause  of  charity 
and  brotherly  love,  and  secure  the  blessings  of 
Friendship,  Equality  and  Truth,  do  ordain  and 
establish  these  Bj-laws  for  the  better  govern¬ 
ment  of  said  Local. 


I 


BY-LAWS. 

ARTICLE  I. 

$ 

Section  1.  This  Assembly  shall  be  known  as 
the  Manhattan  Association,  Local  Assembly 
No.  3420,  Knights  of  Labor,  of  the  City  of  New 
York,  composed  of  persons  in  the  employ  of  the 
Broadway  and  Seventh  Avenue  Railroad  Com¬ 
pany,  present  members  excepted. 

Sec.  2.  The  charts  are  the  recognized  statue 
of  a  member’s  good  standing.  Each  member 
should  give  these  charts  attention  on  each 
meeting  night  for  reference. 

ARTICLE  II. 

Section  1.  This  Local  shall  meet  on  every 
Saturday  evening,  the  M.  W.  in  the  Chair 
opening  the  Assembly  at  8  o’clock  P.  M.,  and 
continue  (recess  optional),  closing  same  by  11 
P.  M.  or  earlier  as  the  occasion  may  require. 

Sec.  2.  The  M.  W.  for  special  or  afternoon 
sessions  (semi-monthly)  may  regulate  the  hour 
to  suit  the  welfare  of  the  business  of  the  Order. 

Sec.  3.  The  W.  I.  shall  take  the  M.  W.  Roll- 
book  and  from  the  admission  slips  credit  each 
|  member  on  said  book,  viz. :  For  those  present 

p  i  & i 


4 


BY-LAWS. 


figure  1 ;  absent,  cipher  (0) ;  members  at  work,  x. 
These  slips  must  be  retained  and  given  to  M. 
W.  for  his  information  and  subsequently  de¬ 
stroyed  by  him  in  open  Assembly ;  exempt  from 
evening  sessions,  members  on  runs,  161  and  up. 

Order  of  business  shall  be  carried  on  as  fol¬ 
lows,  except  a  motion  to  grant  a  dispensation  to 
suspend  regular  order  temporarily  : 

1.  Roll-call  of  officers. 

2.  Reading  of  minutes  of  last  meeting. 

3.  All  correspondence,  etc. 

4.  Reports  from  collectors. 

5.  Considering  previous  proposals  and  ballot¬ 
ing  for  candidates. 

6.  Initiation. 

7.  Finance. 

8.  Discuss  labor  in  all  its  interests. 

9.  Proposition  for  membership. 

10.  Report  of  Almoner. 

11.  Report  of  committees. 

12.  Unfinished  business. 

13.  New  business. 

Sec.  4.  This  Local  shall  not  be  legally  opened 
to  do  business  unless  a  quorum  be  present ;  and 
any  business  done  when  a  quorum  is  not  present 
such  proceeding  is  illegal. 

Sec.  5.  A  quorum  of  this  Assembly  shall  be 
fifteen  members  other  than  officers  in  good 
standing. 


BY-LAWS. 


5 


Sec.  6.  The  nights  for  the  initiation  of  pos¬ 
tulants  shall  be  the  first  and  third  Saturdays  of 
each  month. 

Sec.  7.  The  initiation  fee  for  any  person  ap¬ 
plying  for  membership,  who  shall  neglect  to  be 
initiated  for  two  months  after  notice  of  his 
being  accepted,  shall  be  returned  to  said  person. 
Tne  R.  S.  notifies  the  applicant  of  such  decision. 

ARTICLE  III. 

Section  1.  The  officers  of  this  L.  A.  will  be 
elected  semi-annually  from  brothers  in  good 
standing,  in  accordance  with  the  Constitution. 

Sec.  2.  The  M.  W.  shall  appoint  at  the  second 
regular  meetings  in  January  and  July  of  each 
year,  a  committee  of  three  (3)  on  Finance,  or 
Auditing  Board  (M.  W.  ex-officio),  whose  duty  it 
shall  be  to  examine  all  bills  presented  for  pay¬ 
ment  and  report  them  correct  or  otherwise,  as 
the  case  may  be,  before  being  presented  to  the 
Assembly ;  they  shall  also  examine  the  books  of 
the  R.  S.,  F.  S.,  and  Treasurer;  also  the  receipts 
and  disbursements  of  the  funds  of  this  Assem¬ 
bly,  monthly  for  “memos,”  submitting  a  final 
report  in  writing  at  the  second  regular  meeting 
in  January,  April,  July,  and  October  each  year. 
TheM.'W.  has  the  appointment  of  committees 
in  the  usual  way,  as  occasion  may  require. 

Sec.  3.  Any  officer  of  this  Assembly  who  shall 
be  absent  from  a  regular  meeting  of  this  Local 


6 


BY-EAWS. 


without  good  and  sufficient  reason,  given  in 
writing  to  the  M.  W.,  shail  be  fined  the  sum  of 
fifty  cents. 

Sec.  4.  If  absent  from  three  consecutive  reg¬ 
ular  meetings  without  good  reason,  his  office  is 
declared  vacant,  and  the  Assembly  shall  fill  said 
vacancy. 

Sec.  5.  All  members  are  compelled  to  serve 
on  committees  when  called  upon  to  do  so,  for 
the  good  of  the  Order,  unless  good  and  sufficient 
reason  be  given  the  M.  W. 

Sec.  6.  Any  member  refusing  to  act  on  a  com¬ 
mittee,  or  failing  to  do  his  duty  after  appoint¬ 
ment  on  a  committee,  without  good  and  suffic¬ 
ient  reason,  shall  be  fined  the  sum  of  25  cents. 

ARTICLE  IV. 

Section  1.  The  F.  S.  shall  keep  an  itemized 
account  of  all  money  received,  also  a  list  of 
delinquents,  and  shall  work  strictly  according 
to  law,  as  laid  down  in  the  Constitution  and 
correspond  with  the  R.  S.  for  names  of  new 
members,  also  those  admitted  on  transfer,  and 
on  receipt  of  same  copy  them  in  a  book  for  that 
purpose. 

Sec.  2.  The  R.  S.  shall  perform  his  work 
strictly  according  to  law  in  the  Constitution ; 
he  (R.  S.)  shall  send  a  list  of  names  of  newly- 
accepted  jnembers  and  a  copy  of  those  members 


BY-LAWS.  7 

received  on  transfer  to  the  F.  S.  on  the  nights 
of  such  transactions. 

Sec.  3.  The  Almoner  visits  all  distressed 
members  immediately  on  being  informed,  and 
relieves  as  case  demands ;  notifies  the  Local 
when  funds  are  needed,  receiving  the  amount 
from  the  Treasurer  weekly,  and  giving  him  a 
receipt  for  the  same,  procuring  the  signatures 
of  those  members  thus  relieved,  and  the  specific 
reasons  for  such  aid,  in  a  book  kept  for  that 
purpose.  In  cases  of  doubt  consult  with  M.  W., 
reporting  all  transactions,  and  shall,  on  every 
meeting  night,  give  a  statement  of  money  ex¬ 
pended,  concealing  names  of  recipients  unless 
called  for  by  the  Assembly — a  majority  vote  of 
those  present. 


ARTICLE  Y. 

Section  1.  The  dues  of  each  member  of  this  As¬ 
sembly  shall  be  thirty  cents  per  month,  payable 
monthly.  From  the  receipts  of  the  Assembly 
shall  be  paid  the  expenses  of  said  Assembly, 
the  capita  tax  to  the  G-.  A.  and  D.  A.  according 
to  Constitution.  The  Assembly  will  not  have 
any  collection  taken  up  at  or  around  depot,  for 
any  purposes  whatsoever.  The  Assembly  is 
the  proper  place  to  seek  and  receive  financial 
aid  on  proper  appeal  in  writing,  when  not  able 
to  apply  in  person. 

Sec.  2.  Any  member  failing  to  pay  his  dues  for 


8 


BY-LAWS, 


three  months  shall  be  suspended  from  all  rights 
and  priveleges  of  membership.  Should  a  mem¬ 
ber  in  arrears  get  in  trouble  paying  up  his  dues 
in  a  hurry  to  get  Grievance  Committee  to  act 
he  must  wait  one  month  for  them  to  take  action 
in  his  case.  Members  under  suspension  Grieve- 
ance  Committee  cannot  act. 

Sec.  3.  In  seeking  financial  aid,  a  member 
must  be  in  good  standing  six  months  previous 
to  such  an  appeal. 

Sec.  4.  A  member  in  arrears  may  have  his 
dues  remitted  at  the  option  of  the  Local,  by  vote, 
called  once  only,  by  giving  sound  and  sufficient 
reason  for  such  a  demand. 

Sec.  5.  When  an  appeal  for  aid  is  granted,  all 
dues  and  assessments  shall  be  deducted.  The 
same  shall  be  credited  to  him  on  the  books  of 
the  Assembly. 

ARTICLE  VI. 

IMPROPER  CONDUCT  OF  MEMBERS. 

Section  1.  Any  member  who  shall  be  found 
guilty  of  falsely  accusing  a  brother  of  transac¬ 
tions  derogatory  to  bis  character,  without  giv¬ 
ing  written  proof  thereof,  shall  be  referred  to 
the  Local  Court  to  determine  his  suspension. 

Sec.  2.  If  a  member  make  use  of  any  means 
not  authorized  by  the  laws  or  usages  of  the 
Order  to  obtain  benefits,  he  shall,  on  conviction 
thereof,  be  suspended  or  expelled,  as  the  Local 
may  determine. 


BY-LAWS. 


9 


Sec.  3.  If  a  member  divulge  to  an  applicant 
for  membership  the  fact  that  a  member  reported 
unfavorably  upon  his  application,  or  otherwise 
opposed  his  becoming  a  member  of  the  Order, 
he  shall,  on  conviction  thereof,  be  suspended  as 
the  Court  may  determine. 

Sec.  4.  Any  member  who  shall  be  guilty  of 
any  immoral  conduct,  using  abusive  and  inde¬ 
cent  language  in  vestibule  or  sanctuary,  shall, 
on  conviction  thereof,  be  suspended  or  expelled, 
as  the  charges  may  warrant. 

Sec.  5.  A  member  who  shall  enter  the  sanctu¬ 
ary  in  a  state  of  intoxication,  or  perpetrate  ac¬ 
tions  or  antics  of  a  drunken  man,  shall,  on  con¬ 
viction  thereof,  be  suspended  or  expelled,  as 
the  Local  Court  may  determine. 

Sec.  6.  If  any  officer  or  member  of  the  Local 
appropriate  any  of  the  funds  or  effects  of  the 
Local  to  his  own  use,  he  shall,  on  conviction,  be 
expelled. 

Sec.  7.  Officers  should  always  work  in  perfect 
harmony  with  one  another,  showing  the  dispo¬ 
sition  of  true  ^brotherly  love  and  good  fellow¬ 
ship. 

ARTICLE  VII. 

Section  1.  Trial  and  punishment  for  any  vio¬ 
lation  of  obligation,  law,  regulation,  or  rule  of 
this  Local,  or  for  any  neglect  of  duty,  immoral 
conduct,  conduct  unbecoming  a  Knight  of  La- 


10 


BY  LAWS. 


bor,  or  other  offense  against  this  Order,  the 
guilty  member  may  be  reprimanded,  suspended 
or  expelled,  as  the  Local  Court  may  determine. 

Sec.  2.  In  trials  under  the  laws  of  this  Order 
a  strict  formality  shall  be  indispensable  in  the 
charges,  notice,  proceedings  and  records  thereof 
according  to  the  substantial  right  of  the  case 
and  for  the  good  of  the  Order. 

Sec.  3.  All  trials  in  the  Order  shall  be  held  as 
disciplinary,  and  social  merely,  and  upon  what 
terms  a  member  or  person  shall  longer  retain 
fraternal  and  beneficial  relations,  which  as  an 
Order  members  have  voluntarily  under  its  laws, 
rules,  and  regulations  solemnly  obligated  them¬ 
selves  to  perpetuate. 

Sec.  4.  The  finding  of  the  Court  shall  be  brief 
and  be  reduced  to  writing,  and  in  no  sense  shall 
any  proceedings  or  findings  be  held  to  relieve 
the  accused  of  any  legal  liability  to  the  Local, 
for  any  past  or  future  act,  or  omission. 

Sec.  5.  A  member  may  be  excluded  from  the 
meeting  for  improper  conduct,  for  neglecting  or 
refusing  to  obey  the  M.  W.  promptly. 

ARTICLE  VIII. 

FALSE  CHARGES. 

Section- 1.  If  a  member  shall  make  any  accu¬ 
sation  against  a  member  which  shall  prove  to  be 
false  and  malicious,  charges  must  be  preferred, 
and,  if  proved,  he  shall  be  suspended  or  expelled, 
as  the  Court  may  determine. 


BY-LAWS. 


11 


Sec.  2.  If  a  member  acknowledge  his  guilt, 
the  penalty  may  be  imposed  without  trial.  The 
Local  Court  should  hear  testimony  upon  a  plea 
of  guilty,  as  well  as  to  determine  the  extent  ot 
the  offense  on  the  one  hand,  as  to  ascertain  the 
mitigating  circumstances  on  the  other. 

Sec.  3.  If  a  member  shall  be  guilty* of  vio¬ 
lating  any  laws  or  regulations  of  the  Local,  It 
shall  be  the  duty  of  any  member  having  knowl¬ 
edge  of  the  fact  to  give  the  facts  in  writing  to 
the  M.  W. 

ARTICLE  IX. 

INDEFINITE  SUSPENSION. 

Section  1.  Any  member  who  has  been  indefi¬ 
nitely  suspended  by  the  Local,  as  a  punishment, 
may  at  any  time  be  restored  to  membership  by 
a  majority  vote  of  those  present. 

Sec.  2.  This  section  shall  not  apply  to  mem¬ 
bers  suspended  for  non-payment  of  dues,  fines, 
or  assessments. 

Sec.  3  Suspension  for  non-payment  of  dues 
shall  hold  good  until  the  member  pays  up  all 
arrearages ;  not  only  the  amount  due  when  sus¬ 
pended,  but  also  for  the  time  during  suspen¬ 
sion,  unless  remitted  by  vote  of  the  Assembly. 

ARTICLE  X. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

Section  1.  All  members  or  officers  shall  rise 
and  request  permission  of  the  M.  W.  on  retiring 


12 


BY-LAWS. 


from  Assembly ;  getting  his  permission,  the  In¬ 
side  Esquire,  noting  this  fact,  will  allow  the 
member  to  pass  out.  Officers  must  notify  the 
M.  W.  of  their  return  to  the  Assembly;  if  retir¬ 
ing  for  the  evening,  shall  notify  the  M.  W.  of 
the  fact,  and  their  places  filled  temporarily  for 
the  session  by  the  M.  W. 

Sec.  2.  No  member  shall  inform  another 
brother  of  this  or  any  other  Local  of  any  part 
or  parcel  of  work  transacted  by  the  Assembly 
at  regular  or  special  meetings,  even  though  the 
brother  be  a  member  of  your  Local  in  good 
standing.  Their  obligation  is  to  attend  and  co¬ 
operate  at  the  meetings. 

Sec.  3.  Members  are  held  morally  responsible 
for  proposing  an  applicant,  who  may  have  done 
a  grievous  wrong  in  the  past,  and  whose  pres¬ 
ent  record  may  not  be  the  best.  Such  appli¬ 
cants  should  be  thoroughly  investigated— not 
hurriedly. 

Sec.  4.  This  Local  shall  not  loan  to  any  per¬ 
son  any  of  its  funds,  except  on  bona  fide  secur¬ 
ity;  also  two  members  in  good  standing  as 
securities  for  the  return  of  the  same  within  a 
given  time. 

Sec.  5.  This  Assembly  shall  not  have  the 
power  to  change  or  suspend  any  of  the  By-laws 
as  adopted,  except  upon  a  fifteen  days’  notice 
and  a  majority  vote  of  all  the  members  present. 


RULES  OF  ORDER. 


ARTICLE  XI. 

Section  1.  When  the  M.  W.  takes  the  chair, 
the  officers  and  members  shall  take  their  re¬ 
spective  places,  and  at  the  sound  of  the  gavel 
all  shall  be  silent.  The  Assembly  shall  be 
called  to  order  promptly  at  the  appointed 
time. 

Sec.  2.  Every  officer  and  member  shall  be 
designated  in  debate  or  otherwise  by  his  proper 
title,  according  to  his  proper  standing  in  the  Lo¬ 
cal  and  the  M.  W.  shall  name  the  member  to 
whom  he  gives  the  floor  in  debate,  and  the  mem¬ 
ber  shall  not  proceed  until  so  designated.  And  a 
member,  while  speaking,  shall  not  call  another 
by  his  proper  name,  but  shall  use  the  word 
brother. 

Sec.  3.  Every  member  must,  when  he  speaks 
or  offers  a  motion,  rise  and  respectfully  address 
the  M.  W.  While  speaking  he  shail  confine 
himself  to  the  subject  under  discussion,  avoid¬ 
ing  all  personalities  and  indecorous  language, 
and  shall  not  speak  more  than  once  on  the 


14 


BY-LAWS. 


same  question  until  all  members  wishing  to 
speak  shall  have  an  opportunity  to  do  so,  nor 
more  than  twice  without  permission  of  the 
Local  and  a  member  shall  not  disturb  him  in 
his  speech  except  to  call  him  to  order. 

Sec.  4.  The  M.  W.  shall  decide  all  questions 
of  order,  which  shall  be  final,  unless  appealed 
from  to  the  Local,  when  the  question  shall  be  : 
Shall  the  decision  of  the  Chair  be  sustained? 
The  M.  W.  shall  have  the  privilege  of  giving  the 
reason  for  his  decision  and  the  brother  making 
the  appeal  shall  have  the  privilege  of  stating  his 
grounds  for  the  appeal,  but  no  other  debate 
shall  be  allowed  on  the  appeal. 

Sec.  5.  If  a  member,  while  speaking,  be  called 
to  order,  he  shall  cease  speakiDg,  and  take  his 
seat  until  the  question  of  order  is  determined 
by  the  M.  W. 

Sec.  6.  Every  member  present  shall  vote  on 
any  question  before  the  Local  unless  he  is  per¬ 
sonally  interested  in  the  result,  or  has  been  ex¬ 
cused  by  the  M.  W. 

Sec.  7.  The  previous  question  may  be  called 
for  by  five  members  and  shall  be  put  in  this 
form:  Shall  the  main  question  now  be  put? 
and  if  decided  in  the  affirmative,  the  vote  will 
be  taken  without  debate  on  the  amendments 
pending  in  their  order,  and  then  on  the  main 
question. 


BY-LAWS. 


15 


Sec.  8.  When  a  question  is  before  the  Local, 
no  motion  shall  be  entertained,  except  the  pre¬ 
vious,  to  lay  on  table,  to  postpone  indefinitely, 
to  postpone  for  a  certain  time,  to  divide,  to 
commit,  to  recommit,  or  amend,  which  motions 
shall  have  the  preference  in  the  order  herein 
arranged. 

Sec.  9.  A  member  shall  not  speak  to  another 
or  otherwise  interrupt  the  proceedings  of  the 
Assembly,  while  the  minutes  or  other  papers 
are  being  read,  or  when  any  member  is  speak¬ 
ing  in  debate. 

Sec.  10.  A  motion  shall  not  be  subject  to  de¬ 
bate  until  it  shall  have  been  seconded  and  stated 
by  the  M.  W. 

Sec.  11.  Before  putting  a  question  the  M.  W, 
shall  ask :  Is  the  Local  ready  for  the  question? 
If  no  one  rises  to  speak,  and  the  Local  is  ready 
for  question,  he  shall  rise  and  put  it,  and  after 
he  has  risen  no  discussion  is  in  order,  while  the 
M.  W.  is  putting  the  question,  the  members 
shall  retain  their  seats  and  preserve  silence. 

Sec.  12.  The  members  of  committees  shall  be 
named  by  the  M.  W.  The  first  named  shall  be 
Chairman. 

Sec.  13.  To  be  a  member  of  two  committees 
is  sufficient  excuse  for  not  serving  on  another 
committee. 


16 


BY-LAWS. 


John  F.  O’Brien, 

Patrick  J.  McCormack, 

Levi  Huff, 

Committee  on  By-Laws. 


Approved : 

John  Moran, 

Albert  A.  Brewer, 
William  Cumings, 
Patrick  Doyle, 
Jeremiah  Deady, 
Peter  Galligan, 

Committee 


John  J.  Gilligan, 

John  H.  Rielly, 

Michael  C.  Cooney, 
Hugh  Barber, 

Peter  Flynn, 

Patrick  Duffy, 

Laws  and  Supervision. 


